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Golf ball layers formed of polyurethane-based and polyurea-based compositions incorporating block copolymers |
| 7429629 |
Golf ball layers formed of polyurethane-based and polyurea-based compositions incorporating block copolymers
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| Patent Drawings: | |
| Inventor: |
Wu, et al. |
| Date Issued: |
September 30, 2008 |
| Application: |
11/785,496 |
| Filed: |
April 18, 2007 |
| Inventors: |
Wu; Shenshen (North Dartmouth, MA)
Rajagapalan; Murali (South Dartmouth, MA)
Harris; Kevin M. (New Bedford, MA)
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| Assignee: |
Acushnet Company (Fairhaven, MA) |
| Primary Examiner: |
Buttner; David |
| Assistant Examiner: |
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| Attorney Or Agent: |
Hanify & King, P.C. |
| U.S. Class: |
525/92C; 473/371; 473/374; 473/378; 525/127; 525/128; 525/130; 525/131; 525/98 |
| Field Of Search: |
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| International Class: |
A63B 37/12; A63B 37/00; C08L 75/00 |
| U.S Patent Documents: |
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| Foreign Patent Documents: |
WO 01/43832 |
| Other References: |
US. Appl. No. 10/190,705, filed Jul. 9, 2002 entitled "Low Compression, Resilient Golf Balls With Rubber Core". cited by other.
U.S. Appl. No. 10/167,744, filed Jun. 13, 2002 entitled "Golf Ball With Multiple Cover Layers". cited by other.
U.S. Appl. No. 10/138,304, filed May 6, 2002 entitled "Golf Ball Incorporating Grafted Metallocene Catalyzed Polmyer Blends". cited by other.
U.S. Appl. No. 10/012,538, filed Dec. 12, 2001 entitled "Method of Forming Indicia On A Golf Ball". cited by other.
U.S. Appl. No. 09/989,191, filed Nov. 21, 2001 entitled "Golf Ball Dimples With A Catenary Curve Profile". cited by other.
U.S. Appl. No. 09/842,829, filed Apr. 27, 2001 entitled "All Rubber Golf Ball With Hoop-Stress Layer". cited by other.
U.S. Appl. No. 09/841,910, filed Apr. 27, 2001 entitled "Multilayer Golf Ball With Hoop-Stress Layer". cited by other.
U.S. Appl. No. 09/742,425, filed Dec. 22, 2000 entitled "Split Vent Pin For Injection Molding". cited by other.
U.S. Appl. No. 09/717,136, filed Nov. 22, 2000 entitled "Method of Making Golf Balls". cited by other.
U.S. Appl. No. 09/442,845, filed Nov. 18, 1999 entitled "Mold for a Golf Ball" (Japanese Abstract submitted). cited by other.
Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary 5.sup.th Edition p. 118, Feb. 1990. cited by other.
John A. Schey, Introduction to Manufacturing Processes 410 (Anne Duffy, ed., McGraw-Hill 2d ed. 1987) (1977). cited by other. |
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| Abstract: |
Golf equipment having improved cut and shear resistance that includes a polyurea-based composition or polyurethane-based composition, preferably saturated and/or water resistant, formed of a prepolymer, a functionalized block copolymer, and optionally further cured or chain extended with a curing agent, where the prepolymer is incorporated at the terminal end of the functionalized block copolymer. |
| Claim: |
What is claimed is:
1. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least a portion of the golf ball is cast from a composition comprising the reaction product of: a prepolymercomprising the reaction product of: a first prepolymer and a functionalized block copolymer, wherein the prepolymer is capped by isocyanate end groups, and wherein the functionalized block copolymer comprises a hydrophobic Ax-By block orA.sub.x-B.sub.y-A.sub.z block, wherein A comprises an olefin or an acrylate, B comprises a diene, and x, y, and z are independently 1 or greater; and a curing agent, wherein the first prepolymer consists essentially of the following linkages:##STR00023## wherein x is about 1 or greater, and R and R.sub.1 comprise a straight chain or branched hydrocarbon chain having about 1 to about 20 carbons.
2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the functionalized block copolymer comprises at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of hydroxy groups, amino groups, thiol groups, and combinations thereof.
3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the first prepolymer comprises an isocyanate and a polyamine.
4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the A.sub.x-B.sub.y-A.sub.z block comprises olefin-diene-olefin.
5. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the olefin-diene-olefin is styrene-butadiene-styrene.
6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the portion has a moisture vapor transmission rate of about 0.01 to about 0.09 g/(m.sup.2.times.day) at 38.degree. C. and 90 percent relative humidity.
7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the portion of the golf ball is a cover layer.
8. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least a portion of the golf ball is cast from a composition comprising the reaction product of: an isocyanate-containing compound; and a functionalized block copolymer comprising thereaction product of: an acrylate-diene block, an olefin-diene-acrylate block, an acrylate-diene-acrylate block, or a mixture thereof; and a coupling agent.
9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the coupling agent comprises at least one amino group.
10. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the coupling agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxy groups, amino groups, thiol groups, and combinations thereof.
11. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the isocyanate-containing component comprises the reaction product of an isocyanate and an amine-terminated component.
12. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the isocyanate-containing component comprises the reaction product of an isocyanate and a hydroxy-terminated component.
13. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the portion of the golf ball comprises a cover layer.
14. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer disposed about the inner cover layer, and wherein the outer cover layer comprises the composition.
15. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the inner cover layer comprises a thermoplastic material.
16. A golf ball comprising a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, wherein the cover is cast from a composition comprising: a prepolymer comprising: a first prepolymer formed from the reaction product of an isocyanate and anamine-terminated compound; and a block copolymer comprising functional groups at each terminal end and a hydrophobic A.sub.x-B.sub.y block or A.sub.x-B.sub.y-A.sub.z block, wherein A comprises an olefin or an acrylate, B comprises a diene, and x, y, andz are independently 1 or greater; and an amine-terminated curing agent.
17. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the curing agent is selected from the group consisting of ethylene diamine; hexamethylene diamine; 1-methyl-2,6-cyclohexyl diamine; 2,2,4- and 2,4,4-trimethyl-1,6-hexanediamine; 4,4'-bis-(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane and derivatives thereof; 1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)-cyclohexane; 1,2-bis-(sec-butylamino)-cyclohexane; 4,4'-dicyclohexylmethane diamine; 1,4-cyclohexane-bis-(methylamine); 1,3-cyclohexane-bis-(methylamine); diethylene glycol bis-(aminopropyl) ether; 2-methylpentamethylene-diamine; diaminocyclohexane; diethylene triamine; triethylene tetramine; tetraethylene pentamine; propylene diamine; 1,3-diaminopropane; dimethylamino propylamine; diethylamino propylamine; imido-bis-propylamine; monoethanolamine, diethanolamine; triethanolamine; monoisopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine; isophoronediamine; 4,4'-methylenebis-(2-chloroaniline); 3,5-dimethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine; 3,5-dimethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine; 3,5-diethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine; 3,5-diethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine; 4,4'-bis-(sec-butylamino)-diphenylmethane and derivatives thereof; 1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)-benzene; 1,2-bis-(sec-butylam ino)-benzene; N,N'-dialkylamino-diphenylmethane; trimethyleneglycol-di-p-aminobenzoate; polytetramethyleneoxide-di-p-aminobenzoate; 4,4'-methylenebis-(3-chloro-2,6-diethyleneaniline); 4,4'-methylenebis-(2,6-diethylaniline); meta-phenylenediamine; paraphenylenediamine; N,N'-diisopropyl-isophoronediamine; polyoxypropylene diamine; propylene oxide-based triamine; 3,3'-dimethyl-4,4'-diaminocyclohexylmethane; and mixtures thereof.
18. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the A.sub.x-B.sub.y block comprises an olefin-diene block.
19. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the A.sub.x-B.sub.y-A.sub.z block comprises olefin-diene-olefin.
20. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the A.sub.x-B.sub.y-A.sub.z block comprises olefin-diene-acrylate. |
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